Miles leads way as West tops East in U.S. Army All-American Bowl

SAN ANTONIO -- The West cruised to a 24-12 victory in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl behind the play of quarterback Cyler Miles, which ranged from sound to spectacular. He finished the game 7-of-8 passing for 155 yards and one touchdown. He also added another touchdown on the ground.

It all started on the opening drive. Miles engineered a methodical sequence, at least by All-Star game standards, executing eight plays for 44 yards. He completed a short throw to Dorial Green-Beckham, tossed a screen pass to T.J. Yeldon and scrambled twice for significant gains, the former for a first down and the latter for a touchdown. Nearly two months removed from his last game at Mullen (Colo.), Miles resembled a college veteran playing against BCS-bound talent.

"I felt really comfortable," he said after the game. "I gave that to the week of practice. Coach did a great job of preparing us, installing the plays in there for us, the concepts, the personnel. The level of competition was probably a little bit higher but you get used to that."

A Washington commit, Miles was named the 247Sports MVP of the U.S. Army Combine a year ago on the same weekend. On Saturday, he came full circle by earning MVP honors at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

"That was my dream but I did not think it would end up like this," he said. "This is a great blessing I'm truly blessed to be here and I'm taking advantage of every minute."

Early in the game, it seemed as if a quarterback dual was brewing. Five-star LSU commit Gunner Kiel matched Miles by taking the East 77 yards on 11 plays to answer Miles' rushing touchdown. Kiel showed good command of the offense and benefited from a nice catch-and-run by Mike Davis as well as a big play from wideout Stefon Diggs.

It was one of only two touchdowns for the East. The second came in the closing seconds, when Pitt quarterback commit Chad Voytik carried an athletic quarterback scramble into the end zone. Four other drives for the East ended in turnovers, with Kiel losing an interception to UCLA commit Ishmael Adams and a fumble caused by Texas commit Hassan Ridgeway. Anthony Alford -- a newly minted Southern Miss commit -- threw two more interceptions, both picked off by Texas commit Kendall Sanders.

The West took a 24-6 lead into halftime, setting a record for the most points scored by either team since the East's 28 first-half points in 2004.

Miles' touchdown pass was a record-breaker as well. Rolling out on a scramble, Miles threw a deep ball to the No. 1 wide receiver in the country, Green-Beckham, and watched him do the rest, hauling the ball in one-handed and racing 79 yards for a score. The play was the longest touchdown pass in the game's history, breaking the previous record of 78 yards from Chris Leak to Andre Caldwell in 2003.

Cyler Miles, QB (committed to Washington) -- Miles lived up to his billing as a poised, versatile quarterback with a tremendous tool set. He managed the game effectively and still displayed flashes of phenomenal talent.

Shaq Thompson, S (committed to Cal) -- Thompson, by all appearances, seemed to have NFL-bound ability. He was a scary force in the run game, leading the West with five tackles, two for loss.

T.J. Yeldon, RB (committed to Alabama) -- Yeldon was responsible for a pair of the most spectacular moments of the day, making two open-field hurdles over different defenders. A big back with surprising athleticism, he finished with three catches for 39 yards and five carries for 13 yards.

Jonathan Bullard, DE (committed to Florida) -- In a game that featured plenty of defensive line talent, Bullard claimed the top performance. He notched a sack and two tackles for loss and looked virtually unblockable at times. He displayed both speed off the edge and the ability to overpower offensive tackles.

Adolphus Washington, DE (committed to Ohio State) -- Miles was sacked three different times on Saturday, and Washington was directly involved in two of them. His athleticism and relentlessness were unparalleled and he had the look of a future Big Ten superstar.

Trey Williams, RB (committed to Texas A&M) -- Trey Williams' day wasn't perfect, as he had a fumble and finished with only five rushing yards on four carries. However, his game-breaking 95-yard touchdown scamper that was called back by a penalty continues to linger in fans' -- and college coaches' -- memory. He also recorded a 38-yard kickoff return, showcasing his big-play chops.

Ishmael Adams, CB (committed to UCLA) -- One of the smallest defenders on either team -- if not the smallest -- Adams came up big on Saturday. He stepped up to the challenge every time he was tested, and capped his outing with a Gunner Kiel interception in the fourth quarter that he returned for 27 yards.

Kendall Sanders, CB (committed to Texas) -- It's almost a shame that Sanders is set to play wide receiver at Texas, because he's a tremendous cornerback. He had two interceptions and has a knack for being around the football. His second interception -- a snag on the sideline off a deflection -- was nothing short of outstanding.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR (uncommitted) -- On his 79-yard touchdown reception, Green-Beckham demonstrated exactly why he's the No. 1 wide receiver in the country. His used great strength, speed and concentration to reel the ball in with one hand before sprinting gracefully toward the end zone. He did show one weakness, though: his inconsistent hands. He dropped two easy passes, including one that would have been a surefire touchdown.

Mike Davis, RB (uncommitted) -- Davis' numbers weren't overwhelming, as he rushed for just 13 yards on six carries and had 31 receiving yards on two catches. But the manner that Davis went about his business was hard not to admire. He is a north-south back that has a running style tailor-made for the NFL.

Josh Clemons, LB (uncommitted) -- Six-foot-five linebackers are rare, and there aren't many players that size that can move like Clemons. The uncommitted prospect showed great range and tracked down even the fastest backs with his long arms. He finished with three tackles and one tackle for a loss, but seemed as if he was everywhere.

Kyle Murphy, OT (uncommitted) -- There may not be a more athletic offensive lineman on either team than Murphy. He opened up a number of nice holes, including a block on Eli Harold that helped Barry Sanders Jr. reach the end zone in the first half.

For more recruiting coverage, visit 247Sports.com.

More High School

We've Got Apps Too

Get expert analysis, unrivaled access, and the award-winning storytelling only SI can provide - from Peter King, Tom Verducci, Lee Jenkins, Seth Davis, and more - delivered straight to you, along with up-to-the-minute news and live scores.